Love Letter
by The Age of Millennium
Summary: Ryo wants to write a love letter for Rika, but has a hard time getting the words out. Henry and Takato come to his aid...but does their help do more harm than good? One-shot (separate from the Adventure 03 universe). Rika/Ryo with hints of Takato/Jeri and Henry/OC.


The Love Letter

"So...explain the black eye to me again?" She inquired.

"Like I said...we wrote Rika a love letter." He mumbled.

The brunette shook her head and pressed the ice pack over the goggle-head's eye.

"But...why are _you _ the one with the black eye. It was Ryo's letter, right?"

"Right...but Takato intervened."

The blunette shrugged and his little digimon did the same.

* * *

><p>"Do you think it sounds—?"<p>

"Like we're writing a Mad Libs? Yes."

Henry was prowling over the paper like an angry English teacher on steroids while Takato was trying to ...appeal to the more pacifistic side he hadn't seen all day. In fact, if he hadn't known better he would say Rika was there writing the letter with them instead of Henry. Ryo was still quite bashful about the whole thing despite having asked them for help.

"Well we're doing a better job than I could have done alone, that's for sure. I'm not...good at these things." Ryo said with a small smile.

"And we are?" Henry said sarcastically.

"Henry...lighten up." Takato said as he rubbed his best friend's back.

"...Sorry. So what comes next?"

"Maybe you should pay her a complement? How about it Ryo?" Takato asked.

His face grew dark red for what must have been the millionth time that hour.

"Um...well...I love her hair so..."

"Well, maybe we should make it kind of funny too, for good measures."

"Do you have something in mind Takato?"

"It's not any good."

"Can't be as bad as what Ryo wanted to start out with."

"Hey!" Ryo exclaimed with an annoyed expression.

"Well...between his last statement and the things he babbled over the phone I thought of this:

You're beautiful when you `re capricious most other times. Your eyes are like deep pools of water, warmed in the hair is red like a dinosaur on a summer`s day—"

"Wait wait wait...what's up with that last one?" Henry asked cutting Takato off.

"That's where the humor comes in." Takato said seriously.

"It was good until that bit." Ryo admitted.

"I think Rika would murder Ryo if she found him comparing her hair to Guilmon." Henry said annoyed.

"Then _you _think of a better line."

"Your hair is brighter than the sun, lighter than the air, and it sets fire to my heart?"

Takato and Ryo stared at Henry for a bit.

"...And you said you're not good at this." Ryo mused.

"I'm _not_. I'm good with big words and can use my corny radar when necessary."

Terriermon walked in and climbed on Henry's shoulder.

"What's this?" The little digimon asked.

"A love letter. Or at least that's what it's _supposed to be._" Henry answered with a sigh.

"Why does it have more holes than a jigsaw puzzle?" Terriermon asked confused.

"A better question is how do you know Rika's not going to ask Renamon to burn this?" Henry asked as he turned to Ryo.

"I don't...but...well I have to do _something_. Every time I try to tell her in person she either thinks I'm joking or cuts me off to talk about something else."

The look on Ryo's face...was one neither Henry or Takato had seen him sport—but they knew the feeling all too well.

"...This is for _Rika_? Well before she burns it, she's gonna need a set of directions to figure out which way to read it." Terriermon said squinting at the piece of paper.

"Thanks for the support Terriermon." Ryo said sarcastically.

"I'm serious! Although...this would have been a better idea for Jeri."

Takato blushed.

"Or heck, throw in some more of those intellectual words and Avy would take to this better."

Henry tried to ignore the fact that his heart skipped a beat.

"You know Avy _hates _receiving things like this."

"You know that because—?"

"Because she's Avy, end of conversation."

Henry took another glance over the letter before handing it to Ryo.

"Are you okay with this? Mostly?"

Ryo nodded slowly.

"I think it's okay. It just needs a better closing...but I'll think of something. Thanks for your help guys."

He gave Henry and Takato the biggest smile they'd ever seen from him.

_This is why she calls him "Perfect Teeth"..._ Henry and Takato thought in unison. They shared a glance that Ryo was too happy to notice.

"Well...here's that extra sheet of paper for the final one." Takato said as he handed it to Ryo.

"I've got to go and pick up Suzie, and Takato's got to close the shop. We'll meet you at the park for emotional support..." Henry stated as she got up to leave.

"You don't think it'll go _that _bad...do you?" Ryo said worriedly.

Takato and Henry shared another glance.

"Like we mentioned earlier, she's probably gonna set this on fire but...you'll feel better having told her right?" Takato said as he gave Ryo a pat on his shoulder.

Ryo sighted and sat down at the empty table while Takato went into the kitchen to put away the extra bread.

* * *

><p>It was a quiet scene. <em>Was. <em>She held the letter in her hands while he looked on wordlessly. Her facial expression changed quickly ranging from curious to seemingly infuriated. She crumpled up the letter and threw it behind her while he looked on dejected. It landed in the wastebasket at the same time his heart hit the ground.

"What the _hell was that garbage_?"

"A love letter for you?" He squeaked.

"I got that...but the concept and the concept alone. Seriously you call _that _a love letter? If I didn't know you so well I'd need a map to read it!" She snapped.

"...I meant every word."

"I hope not..."

"I love you Rika..."

She clenched her fist and looked down wordlessly.

"_Great...I didn't think it'd go this badly._" The brunette whispered.

"_You're not serious are you?_" The blunette whispered back harshly.

"_Can't a guy dream?_"

"_No. Not like that._"

"_We need to intervene..._"

"_Takato no! We promised Ryo we would _stay here _and that if_ _a makeout session broke out we'll leave, but if his blood ends up everywhere we'll call an ambulance._"

"_Henry I refuse to sit here and just let Ryo dig his own grave. Not like this..._"

Takato got up quietly and snuck out of the bushes. He quietly walked around the unsuspecting pair and then appeared right behind Rika.

"Rika...stop it."

She spun around in surprise.

"What are you doing here bun for brains?"

"Look...it may not have been the best love letter...but he does care for you and I know you care for him."

Rika turned away with a slight blush running across her face.

"I don't know what the hell you've been smoking, but Perfect Teeth and I have _nothing _going on and we'll never-"

"Rika!"

"Takato SHUT UP AND STAY OUT OF THIS!"

The punch she had been saving for Ryo escaped from her grasp and ended up in Takato's right eye. He didn't flinch.

"...Do you feel better now?"

She looked at him with tears in her eyes and a look of remorse he hadn't seen in...ages.

"Takato...I—"

"Don't you have something to say to Ryo?"

She turned away from Takato and looked at Ryo. His expression was no longer sad or embarrassed but curious...and longing. Henry had appeared from thin air and was standing behind Ryo. He gave Rika a smile and nodded at her. She walked towards Ryo and cupped his face in her hands. She kissed him and then pulled away quickly.

"I..can't say I love you to a guy just yet...so you'll have to settle for that."

She pulled his ear and dragged him off into the sunset. Ryo didn't protest, but he sported the giant grin they had seen him with earlier. Rika waved to them goodbye as she walked without turning around.

"...Will he be alright?"

Takato moaned.

"Are _you _alright?!"

"Looks like _I'm _the one who needs the ambulance..."

"I'll phone a friend...She's cheaper."

* * *

><p>"So <em>why <em>did you call me if we can view the make-out session from Takato's bakery window?" Avy said annoyed as she pointed to Ryo and Rika outside.

"For Takato's eye. I knew that you'd know what to do about it." Henry said quickly.

"Get some ice and monitor it. If the swelling doesn't seem to be going down _then _you'll have to call the doctor. You know how to do this Henry with as many fights Rich has been in."

"Yeah but I feel more comfortable with a child genius with medical knowledge verifying what I know."

She looked at him and glared.

"...That's bullshit. What do you _really _want?"

"...How do you feel about love letters?"

"I _despise _them."

Henry looked down at Terriermon.

"See?"

"Whatever...It's for the best with how Ryo's turned out."

"What does that have to do—"

Henry pulled her close to him and kissed her gently.

"I thought you'd prefer a more direct approach."

She blinked.

"...Yes...but I didn't expect it from you."

"Is it a good surprise?"

She nodded and they hugged. Takato and Terriermon made fake gagging noises and they broke apart.

"Oh can it. What happened to the letter from earlier?" Avy asked.

"Here you go." Henry said as he handed her a crumpled up piece of paper from his pocket.

"Try not to look directly at it." Terriermon joked.

Avy read over it slowly and slammed it back on the table.

"What the _hell was that_?! And what the frick's up with the dinosaur?"

"He _kept _that?" Takato and Henry exclaimed in unison.

"Sheesh...Now I'm on Rika's side for the whole black eye thing. ...I think the letter gave me a migrain."

"I told you not to look directly at it." Terriermon said.

Henry kissed her cheek and she pushed him away.

"I'm disappointed you let that piece of crap out of this room."

"_Ryo _liked it...so who was I to tell him no?"

"The only person with common sense in the room when it comes to love and grammar."

Takato looked on in amusement, but Avy turned her attention to him. She leaned over and snatched a sheet of paper out of his right pocket. He tried to protest but she gently shoved him back down and looked over his manuscript.

"Henry's not even enough of a distraction when it comes to you hiding something. This letter's equally as bad."

"Can I ask the love guru for help now?"

"Like I have a _choice_...I'm not letting you make anyone else's eyes bleed today."

"So where do we begin?"

"At the beginning because this is a load of crap..."

"I gave it my best shot."

"And it's not for mortal eyes."

Henry shrugged and gave Takato a hi-five. The ice and his confession was just a plus...She was the only one out of their friends who could write something worthwhile.

* * *

><p>AN: Hey guys! I know it's been forever and I apologize. Work and school are getting the better of me (along with writer's block and depression but that's a topic for another time) so I wrote...this to try and help get the creative juices flowing. _Troubled Waters _worked better than this (I think) but I tried. This really was just a random idea I had based on a Mad Lib I had decided to do for fun. I was going to write up a whole corny love letter, but I decided it would be best to leave it up to your imagination. Avy is my own person OC from my_ Adventure 03_ series, and despite this being separate I could just picture her being roped into this. Check _Adventure 03_ out if you like, and I promise to update it soon! I hope you guys enjoyed and I hope someone will review to tell me how good/terrible you think this is.

-Love Millie (P.S. Keep your dinosaurs out of your love letters people!)


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